Who Is The Best Closer In Baseball?

There’s no question that closers are a vital part of any successful baseball team. But who is the best closer in the game today? Here’s a look at some of the top candidates.

Aroldis Chapman

There is no doubt that Aroldis Chapman is the best closer in baseball. He has proved it time and time again. When he is on the mound, you can just feel the electricity in the air. He has a fastball that reaches speeds of over 100 miles per hour. He also has a deceiving slider that baffled hitters last season.

Fastest recorded fastball

109.1 mph
In August 2010, Chapman was clocked at 109.1 miles per hour (175.4 km/h) by MLB’s Statcast system during a game against the San Diego Padres, making him only the second player in MLB history to be officially recorded throwing a pitch at more than 109 miles per hour. The previous record of 108.0 mph (173.8 km/h) had been set by Mark Wohlers in 1995.

Strikeout percentage

With a fastball that regularly reaches triple digits, Aroldis Chapman is one of the most electric pitchers in baseball. The Cuban-born left-hander has been a dominant force since arriving in the majors, boasting a 2.21 ERA and 0.99 WHIP while whiffing 648 batters in 471⅓ innings pitched. Chapman has also proven to be an elite closer, tallying 191 saves while posting a 2.23 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in that role.

One area where Chapman truly excels is his strikeout percentage. Among pitchers with at least 400 innings pitched since 2010, Chapman ranks first in strikeout percentage (43.6%), edging out fellow flamethrowers Craig Kimbrel (42.7%) and Kenley Jansen (41.8%). In fact, Chapman’s strikeout percentage is the highest of any pitcher in baseball history (minimum 400 innings pitched).

Craig Kimbrel

Craig Kimbrel is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and Boston Red Sox. Kimbrel is a seven-time MLB All-Star, and he has led the league in saves four times.

ERA

Among all relievers with at least 300 career innings pitched, Kimbrel ranks first in strikeouts per nine innings (14.7), second in ERA+ (188), and sixth in strikeouts per base on balls (4.63). He also ranks highly in severalRawlings Gold Glove Award -related metric categories.

Strikeouts per nine innings

In Kimbrel’s case, his strikeouts per nine innings is the best ever for a reliever. He’s at 15.8. The previous record was held by Mark Eichhorn, who racked up 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 1986. Aroldis Chapman is second on the all-time list at 15.3, and Kimbrel is just ahead of him.

Kenley Jansen

Save percentage

In baseball, the statistical save percentage (S%) is used to measure the efficiency of relief pitchers, particularly those who specialize in finishing games when their team is leading by a run or two, commonly referred to as closers. A pitcher’s save percentage represents the percentage of save opportunities that he conversion saves.

strikeouts per nine innings

In baseball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, exhaustion, or radiation of a pinch hitter for the starting pitcher. Relief pitchers are further divided informally into various roles, such as closers, setup men, middle relievers, left/right-handed specialists, and long relievers. A team’s staff of relief pitchers is normally referred to metonymically as a team’s bullpen. When a manager makes a late game pitching change, it is usually for tactical rather than injury-related reasons; that is, the move is made to advantage the batting team or disadvantage the on-deck batter.

Roberto Osuna

Roberto Osuna is a professional baseball player who plays for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2015 to 2018. Osuna is considered one of the best closers in baseball.

ERA

In baseball, the Earned Run Average (ERA) is the number of earned runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings pitched. The lower the ERA, the better the pitcher is at preventing runs from scoring. A good ERA is considered to be below 3.50.

Roberto Osuna, who plays for the Toronto Blue Jays, has an ERA of 2.28. This means that, on average, he gives up less than two runs per nine innings pitched. This makes him one of the best closers in baseball.

Save percentage

In baseball, the statistical measure of a relief pitcher’s efficiency in preserving a lead or saving runs. A pitcher gets a save when he finishes a game his team is winning while preserving its lead, and he is not the winning pitcher. He must meet all three of the following conditions:
-He must enter the game with a lead of no more than three runs (i.e., he cannot be credited with a save if his team is losing by more than two runs when he enters the game).
-He cannot finish the game (i.e., he cannot be credited with a save if his team ties the game or takes the lead while he is in the game).
-He must pitch for at least three innings (i.e., he cannot be credited with a save if he pitches less than three innings).

Wade Davis

Wade Davis is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Kansas City Royals. Davis has been a relief pitcher throughout his career, and was the Royals’ closer from 2014 to 2017. He helped the Royals win the 2015 World Series.

ERA

In baseball, the earned run average (ERA) is the number of earned runs a pitcher allows per nine innings pitched, with inherited runners scored as unearned. The lower the ERA, the better.

Wade Davis has a career ERA of 2.42, which is the best among active pitchers. He is followed by Kenley Jansen (2.56), Craig Kimbrel (2.58), and Aroldis Chapman (2.68).

Strikeouts per nine innings

In baseball, a strikeout happens when a pitcher throws any pitch that is not hit by the batter, and the batter is unable to put the ball in play. A higher strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) ratio means that the pitcher is better at getting batters to swing and miss.

Wade Davis has a K/9 of 10.6, which is the highest among active pitchers. He also has a career ERA of 2.42, which is the lowest of any active closer.